Objective: To determine the prevalence rates of nucleotide reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)TDRs among HIV-1 ART-naїve patients in Hunan province using the ultra deep sequencing (UDS) technique.
Methods: ART-naїve subjects diagnosed in Hunan between 2010 and 2011 were evaluated by both UDS technique and Sanger sequencing techniques, to the 1% variant level. Mutations were scored using the Stanford HIVdb algorithm to infer the status on drug resistance.
Results: UDS method was performed on 90 ART-naїve subjects that seeking service of care, in Hunan. In total, 42.2% (38/90) of the subjects showed major NRTI or nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor NNRTI TDRs by UDS technique, at a HIV variant frequency level of ≥1%, 15.6% (14/90) showed NRTI TDR, 16.7% (15/90) showed a major NNRTI TDR and 10% (9/90) were both resistant to NRTI and NNRTI when variants were analyzed by Stanford HIVdb.
Conclusion: ART-naїve subjects from Hunan province, which had been predominately infected by subtype AE, would frequently possess HIV variants with NRTI/NNRTI TDRs that would affect the use of first line ART in the region, identified by the UDS technique. Further studies were needed to describe the prevalence of TDRs and to gather related information.